AAA is forecasting that more than one-third of Americans will travel to destinations in and outside the United States this holiday season. The record-breaking number of 112.5 million travelers is a 4.4 percent increase over last year and the most since AAA has been tracking holiday travel, a period defined this year as Saturday, December 22 through Tuesday, January 1, 2019.
Warm-weather destinations are top draws in these winter months, occupying nine of the top 10 spots on the list of most popular holiday destinations, based on AAA’s online and travel agency air and tour bookings. The major cruise ports of Fort Lauderdale and Miami have both gained in popularity compared with last year, on the heels of a strong year for cruise sales. Meanwhile, New York City, the only cold-weather destination to make the top 10, can also expect a growing influx of travelers this holiday season.
Top 10 Year-End Travel Destinations
1Orlando, Florida
2Cancun, Mexico
3Anaheim, California (Disneyland)
4Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
5Montego Bay, Jamaica
6Honolulu, Hawaii
7New York
8Kahului, Hawaii (Maui)
9Fort Lauderdale, Florida
10Miami, Florida
